Morrowind is the third installment in the Elder Scrolls series. The game takes place on the island of Vvardenfell, a district in the Dunmeri province of Morrowind. It is smaller in scope than the previous games in the main series, Daggerfall and Arena, yet much more detailed. This epic, open-ended RPG allows for a wide variety of character designs and play styles. The game continues to be sold on store shelves ten years after its initial release, partially due to the widespread mod community which has the potential to supply Morrowind with new content in perpetuity.

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I feel like this is titled a bit incorrectly. This isn't a piece about a dev saying the game "sucked" in any sense - it's a dev talking about design choices he'd have done differently. In some senses, I tend to agree. I really like his ideas regarding NPC betrayal and deception, as well as greater dialogue interaction. However, on the other hand, I'm pretty fine with the combat. That was never what I wanted out of Morrowind, anyway, so playing against dice is fine as far as I'm concerned. In a game like Morrowind, I'm also not a fan of procedural content. I'd rather have a carefully planned out land to explore, with every nook and cranny hand carved (in a manner of speaking) from the volcanic rock. In some games, it works well, but less so in a game world like Morrowind.

I feel like the "no-betrayal" rule might be a bit stifling, but a good betrayal is hard to pull off. It's such a common twist that it loses the shock factor. Having to work the plot around the lack of a twist requires a bit more artistry imo.

Well in Skyrim you had literally everyone betray you, when it came to random characters betraying you in dungeons it just felt like trivial shit. Also, the Hard Hearts final quests in the fighters guild is probably the greatest betrayal ever. They force you to commit crimes and then turn on you when you make it.

I feel like I'm missing a lot of stuff...anybody have the full text, possibly formatted in a non-eye-raping fashion?

From what I saw, he has some valid points and some that are purely opinion. Personally, I think binary dialogue choices hinder roleplaying more than they help. I don't think anyone would disagree that the combat in Morrowind is a bit shit.
Also I agree that the Roman Empire metaphor is a little too obvious.

This developer is wrong. The only real reason that I like Morrowind is because of the conflicting accounts presented by the different factions towards the Nerevarine prophecies. All of these conflicting accounts very closely represent beliefs that are compatible with their history and economic interests.

Also I disagree with the fact that he didn't want Morrowind societies to mirror Medieval or Roman societies because the reality is that there is a strong correlation between quality and using real life historical and religious influences to develop back story. Real life is the ultimate inspiration when developing believable detail because reality is real 100% consistent and infinitely detailed.

Also not having a defined truth is an advantage for developers. I talked about this in a previous post that I made regarding dark souls. I've come to the conclusion that creating conflicting accounts of certain important plot points and not having any explicitly defined truth is the best way to develop any game's back story.

I have some serious issues with Morrowind but the conflicting accounts of the Nerevarine prophecies with the Ashlanders, Temple, and dissident priests each having a different account that satisfies their political and economic ambitions and is also influenced by their cultural heritage is one of the best parts about the game.

Here is a link as to why creating conflicting accounts and leaving the truth vague is a brilliant method for developing backstory. It is something that I wrote for dark souls but it applies just as well here. I don't feel like spending another couple of hours writing and formatting a similar response.

I came in ready to flame, and am leaving disappointed xD he has legitimate points, and his comments are more opinions rather than reasons it sucked, which it's the best game ever so ya, and his point on the combat I think would be rather cool to see, the combat system in Morrowind is nothing flashy I think but nothing bad, and that's what this article makes me feel, not a reason to despise, but other design ideas that honestly might've been cool

Perspective, perspective - absolutely priceless! Morrowind has a few glass ceilings of its own, and seeing it massacred raises the bar an incredible amount - what are Rolston's sins of hamfisted-by-comparison-prescriptive narrative in comparison to Skyrim's?